Oxfam Equality Clubs with YLAC

Oxfam India and YLAC have been working together to set up Equality Clubs in schools across India to sensitize students about the different types of inequalities that exist in society. The aim is to raise consciousness, help build empathy and appreciation of one’s own privilege, and inspire students to take action.

The clubs adopt an experiential learning approach to help students explore challenging societal problems, break stereotypes and equip them with the skills necessary to take on leadership to re-write societal norms. With an intricately designed toolkit, full of activities and resources for a facilitator to use, Oxfam and YLAC hope that the Equality Clubs will become India’s catalysts for change – a place where thought-provoking debates and discussions trigger ideas to #SmashInequality that exists around us.

Theory of Change

Three elements – (1) Awareness; (2) Empathy; and (3) Action – encapsulate our theory of change. Our goal is to instil a spirit of Active Citizenship in students that they can use to create an impact on the world around them.

If we create spaces where rich discussions around inequality can be ignited through experiential lessons and facilitated interactions, then emotions of empathy and justice will be evoked in students who will be inspired to take action against the inequalities that exist in society.

Club Themes

The one year club cycle is divided into four quarters, and each quarter features some pre-decided activities. The first three quarters deal with gender inequality, economic inequality, diversity and inclusion, and climate justice. The fourth quarter is designed to facilitate campaigns and fund raising activities to support initiatives that further the cause of equality. Each segment is designed as a mix of activities and discussions, as well as stimulating competitions and exercises.

To facilitate the work of the clubs, we support schools by providing a dedicated curriculum and toolkit, skill-based workshops, support for interactive sessions with experts and an overall framework of active citizenship to enhance students’ understanding and ability to create impact.

The Approach

During the academic year 2019-20, the clubs were piloted across 7 schools in 4 cities – Bengaluru. Hyderabad, Lucknow and Raipur. As we close the academic year, 500 students will graduate from the program. Our partner schools in 2019 included schools such as DPS Secunderabad, International School of Hyderabad, Study Hall Lucknow, among others.

In 2020, we aim to expand this fully-funded program to 100 schools across the country.

Partner with Us

In order to ensure greater coverage and impact, we are looking for partner schools to join us in our mission to develop the next generation of changemakers. If you are an individual, teacher, principal or trustee and would like to discuss the possibility of hosting the club at your school, we would love to hear from you!

Please browse through the presentation here for more information about the initiative, including details of how the club is structured as well as expectations from partner schools. For any other queries, please feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]

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If you need any information, please write to us at [email protected] or call us at +91-11-4307-7660